Sleepytime…

WOW, it’s hard to believe that a month has passed since my last blog post! It has been a craaaazy time since my last writing, which is exactly why today’s post is going to address a highly under-rated topic: SLEEP.

As I am typing here on my Mac, I am sipping some hot herbal tea with raw honey, with the hopes that it will help restore my vocal cords to normal. Yerp…I have developed (thankfully otherwise symptom-free) laryngitis. This has happened to me a couple times in recent years, and it is always as a result of similar things. Typically, when we are over-stressed, over-worked, over-emotional, or under-slept, our bodies will begin to respond in any way possible to help us to slow down and take care of ourselves. As most of you know, I use my voice for nearly every aspect of both of my jobs (singing and nutritional educating), but have been working in one or both of them at a seven-day-a-week pace for many consecutive months now. Eeeek. (Or rather today…squeeek.Ack. )

So, eating a vibrant all-raw diet does not make me into Wonder Woman (although I used to dress up like her as a little girl 😉 ), but it does allow me to have more energy than the average person I run into. It is not uncommon for me to keep late hours typing away at my computer, only to wake up at the crack of dawn to exercise in the morning. Admittedly, sleeping enough is an issue has sometimes been taken for granted by yours truly, but I can tell you one thing: When I sleep well, I AM WELL.

There is a vast difference between the amount of sleep a person can get by on in order to function, as opposed to the amount needed for inner healing and OPTIMUM functioning. While required sleeping times vary from person-to-person, most adults require 7.5-9 hours sleep each night, ideally with a quite a few hours happening before midnight when our most restorative sleep occurs (Shame on me. 😦 Ok, Ok, I get it! I will sleep earlier! Please just let me have my voice back to sing for the back-to-back funerals I’m booked for in the morning!)

If you are not sure as to whether you’re truly getting enough sleep, take a look at the list below.

You are likely sleep-deprived if you:

▪ Need an alarm clock in order to wake up on time

▪ Get laryngitis even though you try to be reallyyyyyy healthy (Yea…I added in that one. 😉 )

▪ Have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning

▪ Feel sluggish in the afternoon even when eating properly

▪ Get easily sleepy in meetings, lectures, or warm rooms

▪ Get drowsy when driving

▪ Need to nap to get through the day

▪ Fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening

▪ Feel the need to sleep-in on weekends, and still have difficulties getting out of bed

▪ Fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed

Scary, right?? I think most of us are sleep-deprived! The list of benefits from getting proper sleep is HUGE! I am including a sampling here, but it appears as if good sleep is as good for us as getting in our daily green smoothies (And you ALL know how important I think THOSE are! 🙂 )

Please…don’t neglect this integral piece of the health puzzle as I have done off and on over the years. I am determined to make this my last case of sleep-deprivation-caused laryngitis, and am very excited to see what other additional benefits I may get to experience as a result. Who’s with me??

Enjoy the rest of your week, Everyone…and most especially, enjoy some sleep-filled nights!

Lisa Testa, M.S.

My name is Lisa, and I am a holistic nutritional consultant in New Jersey. I created my business, Healthier You, in 2008, with the desire to share my knowledge and passion for healthy living with others in an innovative way!